


Partners in Crime(fighting)

by TheNameIsErronBlack



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5935684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNameIsErronBlack/pseuds/TheNameIsErronBlack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of mostly disconnected one-shots about or relating to Snowbarry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ratio

Barry was, putting it mildly, having a bad day.

Doctor Wells was meeting one of his college roommates and research partners, Lex Luthor, for a steak and a few drinks at an exceptionally expensive restaurant downtown. Despite Barry’s insistence that he remain in immediate proximity to the building in case a glory-seeking meta-human took the opportunity to try and kill two of the most prominent scientists on the planet, Doctor Wells assured Barry that Luthor’s security team had dealt with their own fair share of meta-humans and any worries could be easily dismissed. It turned out Doctor Wells assumed incorrectly, however, as former LexCorp employee Daniel Martyn incapacitated Luthor’s private security and nearly killed Lex and Doctor Wells. The impetus for Martyn’s attack was his belief that Luthor had stolen his research about enhancing human reflexes, made a deal with the United States Army Scientific Research Division, and received all the credit for its creation. When Martyn brought his grievance to his lawyer and the Daily Planet, Luthor swiftly destroyed Martyn’s claims by bringing forth a patent dated weeks before Martyn claimed he had even completed the research. Jobless and humiliated, Martyn broke into his former LexCorp office and managed to inject himself with a vile of his own research before being arrested by the police. Unbeknownst to the prosecutor and LexCorp, Martyn gained superhuman reflexes for his efforts and a lighter sentence than would be necessary to contain him because that small detail slipped past the medical examiner. Martyn’s reaction times were quicker than most people’s ability to process thoughts, allowing him to escape jail rather quickly. While Barry was confident that he could easily incapacitate Martyn with minimal effort despite his newfound abilities, Martyn proved a far deadlier foe when he managed to use his reflexes and fighting abilities to send Barry flying. No matter how quick Barry thought he was, Martyn always seemed to have the jump on him as soon as he got in close. It was only when Joe and Eddie thankfully arrived after being alerted by Doctor Wells that Martyn fled the scene by leaping out of a window and, somehow, escaping to safety. Despite the fact that Luthor and Doctor Wells escaped unharmed and Barry received only minor injuries, Barry was quite displeased with his inability to protect the two when they found themselves endangered by a meta-human criminal. He had embarrassed himself in front of Lex, Eddie, Doctor Wells, and Joe. Not only that, but he, a superhero dedicated to protecting the weak and helpless, needed assistance. Caitlin found him in one of STAR Labs’ many long abandoned wings, sulking in a chair, hand firmly pressed against face in shame.

The unfortunate reality was that there was nothing Caitlin could really do to help Barry as she was only certified in the area of physical health. Her knowledge didn’t extend to the emotional and mental well being of her patients, although she did take Intro to Psychology in freshman year of college. (And got an A in it, mind you) While she lacked any substantive training in the realm of internal maintenance, she was determined to help Barry in any way possible. Throughout her life, through the good and the bad, even when hope seemed like but a distant and fantastic fantasy, there was always one thing which helped to relieve the sting of even the deadliest wounds.

“Barry.” She calmly inched her way towards him as he hadn’t noticed her entrance. He looked up at her.

“Oh, hey, Caitlin,” He acted as if someone had informed him that his beloved puppy had fled to parts unknown. “If you’re wondering, Lex and Doctor Wells are fine. They both said this wasn’t the first time a meta-human threatened to kill them, so they were just going to reschedule their little get-together.” He pressed his index finger to his temple and occasionally shifted his chair’s position.

Caitlin pressed her hands together and played around with her fingers in a futile attempt to encourage her to go through with this horrible idea. “I know. I’m not here about them. I’m here about you.” Barry ceased shifting his chair, looked directly at her, and cocked an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Because, as your physician, it is my obligation to help you feel better.”

Barry smiled. Progress! “I appreciate the thought, Caitlin, but I don’t think these wounds are of your particular specialty. Besides, I feel fine.” Well, it was at least minor progress.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve been saving this because I know this is the one, sure-fire thing that will make you, well, you. I know you’re at your best “Saving the whole world”-self when you are of optimal emotional and mental performance. This is a remedy that has been in my family for generations and has helped me through every single bad thing that has ever occurred in my existence.” Her choice of words made her sound like a robot, but she continued on hopeful that Barry wouldn’t mind her tripping over her own words. He was used to that.

Now he gave a small chuckle. Perhaps Caitlin could pursue another doctorate in Psychology once this whole “Team Flash saving the world” job got too dull. “And what is this legendary remedy, Doctor Snow?”

Now was the moment of truth. Caitlin’s entire being, driven purely by her nerves, had to act in perfect synchronization with her rapid fire mind to form a coherent sentence, because this was putting it all on the line.

“We’re going to hug.”

Caitlin could feel a surge of heat rise to her face as the words spilled out of her. Barry had arched his back. “Uh, I don’t think that’s really suc-“

“I knew you were going to say something like that, but I insist. It’s the universal medicine and I refuse to accept no. I took a Hippocratic Oath to help you. It would be immoral for us not to hug.” She said matter-of-factly as a layer of perspiration rapidly developed on her hands.

Barry swallowed and cleared his throat. He remained in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay. If you’re so insistent, then yes, we will hug.”

“I need you to stand up first.”

In an attempt to relax himself and mollify Caitlin’s energy, Barry gave a light quip. “Okay there, Doctor Bossy-Pants,” He stood at attention. “Do you want me to-“

Spurred forth by her rapidly mounting anxiety and fear of saying something embarrassing, Caitlin charged forth, wrapped her arms around Barry’s body, and pressed herself right up against him. He responded by lightly placing his head on her shoulder and gently holding his hands next to her as if she was made of glass.

Caitlin found it, surprisingly enough, far more enjoyable than she had initially anticipated. She primarily looked at it from an objective, scientific perspective, as it was solely aimed at Barry’s well being, but she figured her own personal enjoyment would be an acceptable figure to exam once everything concluded.

It really was enjoyable, though. The lab, or, more likely, Barry smelled rather nice and the heater, or, more likely, Barry, was exceptionally warm. Caitlin felt content, as if all the problems and worries of the world melted away and all that was left was this curiously pleasant sensation in her stomach. There was also the subject of Barry’s body. It was…also rather nice, Caitlin conceded.

 _“From a purely scientific standpoint, obviously_.” She mentally noted. Having her head on his chest was quite pleasant. Would Barry object to her placing her hand on his stomach if he knew it was in the name of furthering the scientific metho-

“Uh, Caitlin.”

“Mmm?” She looked up at his crimson face.

“I think I feel better.”

It was only at that point that she realized she must’ve lost track of time and held on to Barry for far longer than research necessitated. “Oh,” She released him from her iron grip and held her hands behind her back, unable to meet his eyes. “Well,” Her own eyes darted about, looking for something to coil on to in order to avoid having to communicate her embarrassment to Barry. “I, erm, hope that improved your condition.”

“I, uh, think so.” He paused. “No, I definitely feel much, much better. Thank you,” He gave her a small, shy smile. “B-uh, but I think you should check on Doctor Wells. He’s probably still shaken up from tonight’s fight. I’m gonna see if Cisco has any more info on our meta-human’s location.” Barry was proud of himself for forming a cogent sentence.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Caitlin’s nervous energy, having overridden her other functions, compelled her to exit the office as quickly as her body could take her.

 _“Well,”_ Barry thought to himself following Caitlin’s’ departure. _“That was…something that just happened.”_

Considering everything, Barry concluded that today was a pretty good day. A few things could’ve gone a bit better, but overall? Pretty damn good day. The good far outweighed the bad. He noted his flaring cheeks and inability to suppress his massive grin. Perhaps it would be pertinent to take a few minutes to lose this giddy schoolboy high before engaging Cisco or Doctor Wells in conversation.


	2. Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say that I genuinely appreciate all of you who leave kudos for my stories. All of you are a huge reason of why I write, and it makes my day to see those e-mails telling me people legitimately enjoy my work. I hope I’ll be able to make more writing that’s worth your time.

One thing that Cisco came to realize was that there were very few things that could successfully distract Caitlin. She never broached the subject, and he never prodded, but he suspected her nigh-unbreakable concentration stemmed from years of being hounded for her brainiac status in her school days. Cisco assumed everyone who contended with jerks in school found their own way of dealing with the steady wave of negativity, and he surmised that Caitlin simply ignored them out of existence. (He used an electromagnetic disc launcher to force Troy Wickman to back off. One disc to his pants, one to his car. The memory of Troy's look of pure, unrelenting regret coupled with the knowledge that it cost him somewhere around 500 dollars to retrieve his former pants amused Cisco regularly) That being the case, there were elements of the universe which had the rare ability to shatter her iron willpower. The first was food, particularly when she was exceptionally hungry. One late night, before the Particle Accelerator explosion, Cisco made a chicken parmesan sandwich only to have Caitlin snatch it out of his hands and wharf it down like a starved wolverine. Cisco, out of sheer bewilderment, questioned what had just occurred, though he concluded silence was his best option when Caitlin hadn't given him even a courtesy response. He considered attempting to retrieve his sandwich, as he was morally obligated to it by the Rules of Sandwich Making, but the conception of interfering with Caitlin's ravenous devouring of what was formerly his sandwich would be taking a greater risk than covering himself in barbecue sauce and giving the finger to a pack of tigers.

There was food, and, apparently, something else.

"Barry? You okay there, buddy? Talk to me." Vital signs indicated that Barry was slowly acclimating to the real world again. The team was tracking a presently unidentified meta-human with the power to alter the chemical dosage of other human beings. Barry tracked him down to a jewelry store at the Central City Mall as the meta-human had used his powers to convince security to disable the cameras and let him through to do as he pleased. Frightened by the sudden appearance of The Flash and the unbridled beatdown that would doubtlessly ensue, the meta-human used his powers to force Barry's mind to go to sleep.

The most immediate concern was that Barry no longer had his suit, and, for whatever bizarre reason, he didn't have a shirt. Both had been taken by the kleptomaniac to be pawned off in a game of Three-card Monte, no doubt. As soon as Cisco tapped into the Mall's security system and found Barry minus his gear, Caitlin had gone into "that mode", as Cisco called it. Her eyes would go wide, her bottom lip would occasionally quiver, and calling her attention to something of importance would be a borderline impossible task. It was very rare that Caitlin was sent into "that mode", but this was clearly a "that mode" moment. He quietly laughed. Despite his lackadaisical attitude to life in general, he never allowed his ladies-man status to get in the way of his objectives.

Well, there was Rachel Roth in 7th grade English, Kori Anders in AP Chemistry, and he nearly failed Computer Science I because of Barbara Gordon's Earth-shattering good looks. But that was before, and this was in the present with the new, laser-focused Cisco.

" _I'm making fun of Caitlin for being distracted while I myself am presently distracted by Caitlin being distracted."_ Cisco returned his focus to getting Barry up and out. It was Friday morning, so the mall would be swarmed soon enough.

"Yeah. Hey. Ow." Barry shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he refocused his energy to standing up.

"Glad to have you back. Now, zoom on out of there and get back here now." Barry, fueled by his fear of being identified or, worse, arrested, made his final preparations to escape the mall. His journey was impeded, however, as his superpowers informed him that this was a quest he would have to take alone.

"Guys, I think that meta-human did something to me because my powers are on the fritz." Cisco's biggest fears were verified.

"Sorry, Barry, but you're gonna have to tactical espionage your way out of there. Don't worry, Caitlin and I are gonna guide you out of there. Right, Caitlin?" Cisco looked over at his partner in crime-fighting to find her fixated on her computer screen. In a case of pure coincidence, Caitlin's screen displayed a camera which gave a surprisingly high-resolution view of a shirtless Barry.

" _Just as I predicted."_ Cisco mentally said in his best supervillain voice.

"You guys can," Barry paused. "See me?" Barry wondered aloud, a modicum of self-consciousness in his voice.

Barry had the hots for Caitlin, too? Excellent! He would have to form a plan to mess with Barry later. Now, his focus was on Caitlin.

"Uhh, hey, Team Flash to Caitlin?" He waved his hand in front of her face. "Doctor Snow, do you copy?"

Caitlin's sense of direction had been damaged. After several unsuccessful attempts to locate the human being three feet to her left, she met Cisco's gaze. "Oh, yes, Barry. We will get you out of there. We will keep close watch over you. Do not worry about that." Awkward innuendos. Cisco detected blood in the water. Now, the factitious, good-nature ribbing could truly begin.

"Something wrong, Caitlin?" Cisco gave his best "concerned friend" voice. "Seems like something is bothering you."

Caitlin's eyes popped open and she gave Cisco a look that pierced his very soul. "I'm fine, Cisco." She may as well have said: "Please understand, Cisco, I desire Barry with every atom of my being! His soul contains a purity rivaled only by the stars of the night sky and my heart aches each solitary, interminable moment we are apart! Oh, but how I wish I could discover a conduit for my feelings!"

He arched his eyebrow and gave a small smirk. "Are you sure? You seem a bit," He paused to give the next word particular aplomb. "Distracted."

"No, I'm fine. I am not distracted," Her rapid fire delivery and tone of voice betrayed her words. "And even if I was, which I am not, how many times have I found you absorbed by video games which you feel compelled to play while we're doing more important things?"

" _Oh, you are so done."_ Cisco was going to get _a lot_ of mileage out of this."First, I often have money on matches, so it IS important; Second, I never play while we're hunting meta-humans." Both of those things were true, to varying degrees.

"Guys! I need you to be my eyes. Not literally. But just focus, please." The two may have temporarily concluded their argument to assist Barry, but Cisco would continue his war.

"Right. Barry, Caitlin and I will cycle through the security cameras. Make your way to southeast exit. I'll look ahead for security and Caitlin will keep an eye on you."

"Buh, wait," Caitlin immediately objected to Cisco's hastily assembled plan. "I think may-"

"Yeah. I mean, I can keep an eye on my surroundings, you guys should probably look around and not at me." Barry was rather forward about not being seen in his current state. Almost unusually so, Cisco thought.

"No time to think, you need to move right now because you are gonna have several securities guards on you in a few moments. Caitlin, keep an eye on him." A small but necessary lie.

Barry hustled for the exit, beginning a crouch-walk after escaping the store. While Barry primarily used his superpowers to stand against criminals, he was unusually fast for an untrained CSI, as Caitlin noticed.

"You know, Barry, you seem a bit," She paused as Cisco noted her mouth's refusal to decide whether it was going to close or speak. "Fast. Well, I mean, you are fast. And I mean that completely in reference to your superpowers. It's just that, even without them, you're still fast even while snooping around. And I don't mean to imply you snoop around, because you don't, it's just that this scenario specifically calls for snooping around. Which you are rather capable of doing." Cisco knew that, when especially flustered, Caitlin's grasp of socially acceptable behaviors and the English language were the first casualties, but this was a whole new level of awkwardness.

There was no sign of any approaching guards, so Cisco clicked a few keys on his terminal to test Barry's reaction. It would be prudent to see what kind of effect Caitlin's awkward compliments had on his performance. A perfunctory appraisal of the screen allowed Cisco to detect that Barry had a rather unsubtle grin which threatened to fly off his face in spite of the danger.

"Oh, yeah," Cisco noted that Caitlin's roundabout compliment clearly had an effect on his focus. "Well, I always believed that it's about the hero, not the powers, so I figured I must be prepared for when my powers go haywire if I am truly to be the hero of Central City." He continued his journey to the exit as both he and Caitlin attempted, fruitlessly, to regain their composure.

"Wow, Barry. That's, uh," She sucked her lips into her mouth as her face burned a bright red. "Heroic. Must've entailed a lot of training."

While his primary objective was determining whether or not Caitlin and Barry did actually have the hots for one another, Cisco also had to make sure that Barry escaped alive. Barry was rapidly closing in on his escape route, but freedom would have to be delayed as two rather large, rather angry looking security guards were on a collision course with Barry's current location. "Barry, you got two very big, very scary looking dudes with nightsticks coming your way at 12 O'Clock. Duck in front of the Macy's entrance." Barry shuffled towards the closed off entrance, faith completely placed in Cisco's hands. He found himself in a bit of a bind. If he remained here, it was possible they would back off, or they would spot him and put an end to his career as a CSI.

"I'm gonna knock them out." Barry relayed this bizarre piece of information to Cisco and Caitlin as the two shared a look of worry as the security guards drew ever closer.

"Uh, Barry, no offense or anything, but these dudes look like they were in the army and you aren't exactly the Green Arr-" Just as Cisco was completing his warning, Barry sprung out as the two security guards reached his hiding spot. Inside of five seconds, he swiftly kneed the one on the left in the stomach and laid him on the floor with a body slam before unleashing a thunderous right cross, sending his partner flying away. Cisco and Caitlin shared a look, this one conveying pure disbelief in favor of anxiety. Barry Allen had swiftly taken down two NFL linebackers without the assistance of superpowers.

"Okay, I was wrong. You're not Green Arrow; you just went James Bond on those guys," If she wasn't before, Cisco knew Caitlin was full-on smitten. She shifted her had around the room in an effort to find something else to focus on other than Barry's extremely impressive display of physicality. "Alright, dude, perfect timing. Your cabbie is right outside."

"Dude, a cab? C'mon," He was clearly pleased with himself. Cisco suspected he knew, on some level, the effect that he was having on Caitlin's behavior. It made him more confident, more brash. "I'm a freaking superhero. Could you at least get me an Uber next time?"

Cisco looked over at Caitlin, who was obviously incapable of relaxing her nerves in spite of the danger no longer posing a threat to Barry. "An Uber from the Central City Mall to STAR Labs is like thirty dollars. You think Doctor Wells would accept that? Besides, cab drivers are fine with shirtless dudes needing rides from the mall in the middle of the morning." Cisco knew that was true. Caitlin took out her microphone and earpiece.

"Please tell me we have a STAR Labs t-shirt around here somewhere." She implored Cisco. With no costume and no powers, it was probable that Barry would have to walk around shirtless for the remainder of the long, long day. Perfect.

"I think we have one," He put a hand on her shoulder to assure her. "Don't worry. I will find it." A bit of relief washed over her face.

" _So I can immediately hurl it into the incinerator."_

Barry and Caitlin both had a severe case of the hots for each other, and it was up to Cisco to make it happen. _This_ was gonna get ugly.


	3. Encouragement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of the previous chapter. It takes place in a universe in which Zoom has been defeated, Jay, Harry, and Jessie have returned to Earth-2, and Barry and Patty have broken up after Zoom’s defeat.

Though he would deny it to the bitter end, Cisco was ultimately not a ladies’ man. Unlike Oliver and Barry, who had babes fighting each other (literally, in some cases) to get a chance with them, Cisco struggled to balance one relationship. Heck, even when he finally did bag a hottie, she was robbed from him by some thousand year old Egyptian prince and his “connection which transcended the boundary between life and death”. It was a complete load of garbage. In spite of that, he was an exemplary wing-man. Even when he was in elementary school, he expertly deduced who would hook up, and when, with near-psychic precision all without the assistance of superhuman abilities. As fate would have it, he was once again honor-bound to make use of his other meta-human powers to make Barry and Caitlin get together. Plus, it would help the atmosphere around the lab. With Zoom defeated, and no all-powerful meta-human to fight, Barry and Caitlin had spent the past several weeks moping about Patty moving and Jay returning to Earth-2, respectively, and Cisco had more than enough of their all-consuming angst. When Kendra ran off on a time-travelling spaceship with Prince PunchableFace of the Asshat Kingdom, did Cisco whine and complain? No. Like a true hero, he let it fester inside of him, only occasionally airing his feelings out anonymously on Tumblr. Even so, Cisco could not shoulder the collective drama of two people as emotionally volatile as Barry and Caitlin. His assumption was that, if they finally did get together, their constant awkward fumbling would preclude them from focusing on the scars of war. To see his goal to its end, though, he would have to, like any great scientist, get a bit unethical. He pulled a Harry and discretely researched the meta-human with the ability to alter chemical dosages. Unfortunately, it was a task not suited to his proclivities. The obvious solution was to enlist Caitlin, as she was generally skilled at this type of thing, but she would undoubtedly berate Cisco for his goal and methods despite everything being morally just, relatively speaking. After a few weeks of research, and indulging a latent nostalgia for his favorite television show from when he was a teenager, _Captain Nova,_ Cisco had managed to engineer a plan none would escape. In Season 4, Episode 14 of _Captain Nova, The Deception of Mister Spectre,_ Mister Spectre had disguised himself as a student at Nova High for obviously nefarious reasons which escaped Cisco’s memory. To expose his duplicity, Captain Nova’s best friend created a truth serum which was secretly placed in the punch bowl at Captain Nova’s prom to force Spectre to reveal his disguise. The key factor was that, and Cisco recalled this vividly, two of the secondary characters who had a whole will-they-won’t-they-but-they-totally-will-at-some-point thing going on confessed that they both had a massive crush for the other after unknowingly drinking the punch. Taking inspiration from his childhood hero, Cisco would adjust the brain chemistry of his subjects and, with the proper situation, let the two tear at each other like starved wolves. Who said television couldn’t teach valuable lessons? Barry clearly buried his affection for Caitlin in his subconscious and Caitlin would sooner jump out a window than even consider admitting her feelings for Barry, so a little coffee would help them grease the wheels of love. But this coffee was no ordinary one. Caitlin’s cup would make her far more bold and confident, not unlike a temporary shot of superpowers, and Barry’s cup would help bring his emotions he kept suppressed to the forefront of his mind.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to stop moping and start loving life, because it’s movie night.” This plan was so ingenious that even Machiavelli would be impressed at Cisco’s cunning. The two subjects of his experiments were less than enthusiastic, but that would soon change.

“Remind me, again, why we’re doing this?” Caitlin’s drab snark was even snarkier. Good. Adversity made victory more rewarding.

“Because we’re here and we have to have a good time together. You guys are extremely special people, and it’s time you two recognized it.” In the time following the Particle Accelerator explosion, Cisco had converted one of STAR Labs’ multifarious rooms into a movie center, complete with microwave, coffee maker, comfy chairs, (Cisco conveniently made sure there was only one for tonight) and a (recently acquired) couch. Cisco had called dibs on the lone chair, which relegated Barry and Caitlin, in a case of pure coincidence, to the couch.

“So what are we watching, again?” Despite his despondent tone of voice, at least Barry was willing to give movie night a shot.

“ _Tell Her You Love Her_ starring Johnny Cage and Casey Vorenberg,” None of the participants of the experiment were fans of extremely cheesy romantic comedies, particularly those starring Johnny Cage, but Cisco understood the necessity of struggling through hardship and suffering for the sake of love. “Critic reviews were kinda terrible when it came out, but, with the benefit of hindsight, the global film community now looks at it with a more positive light.” Even though only a portion of that sentence was fabricated, Barry and Caitlin were clearly less than assured by Cisco’s extolling the falsified virtues of the feature.

“Do we have to? Can’t we watch something a bit more, you know, distractingly simple?” Barry, perpetually stuck on Patty, lazily rested his head on his hand on his end of the couch.

“You gotta expand your palette and consider possibilities, man. Gotta think about things in a totally new light, not unlike this movie.” Cisco’s intricate knowledge of psychology told him that suggestion was indeed a powerful weapon in the war of manipulation. “You’ll thank me when this is over, by the way. You’ll say “Cisco, you were right. I don’t know why I ever doubted you”. That’s what they all say, eventually. Plus, Casey Vorenberg won Best Supporting Actress the same year this came out.”

“Did she win for this movie?” Caitlin had remained curiously silent up until that point. Presumably she objected to the idea of watching a romantic comedy because her ideal form of entertainment involved a library, hours of diligent research, and a low-fat, low-carb muffin before bed at nine PM, but perhaps her proximity to Barry forced her to suppress her distaste for the idea. She was kind of doing that thing where she sucked her lips into her mouth and her eyes were fixed directly in front of her. That couldn’t work. Coffee would relieve that, ironically.

“Irrelevant.” Ironically, he found making coffee to be the most difficult part of preparing for the mission. Luckily he had improved enough that he could work while also eavesdropping on Barry and Caitlin. As he worked his magic, Cisco mused on the peculiar fact that Barry and Caitlin needed brain-altering chemicals to finally see that they were perfect for each other, but, as Prince Asshat taught him, love cared little for such trivialities. He treated the operation with the greatest amount of delicacy, gently pouring the coffee and shifting the ingredients around, being careful to account for his hand trembling and rapidly proliferating fear that he would be detected by Barry or Caitlin. Mercifully, Barry was still absorbed about Patty and Caitlin remained too timid to begin a conversation with him in his present state. To prevent the night from falling to total disaster, he presented the two with their free, hand-delivered drinks like a dutiful servant of the heart.

“Coffee. And don’t worry, they’re both decaf.” He made sure to raise his eyebrows and look in Caitlin’s eyes as he said that. Barry and Caitlin exchanged worried glances as Cisco made jumped into his chair, grabbing the remote mid-flight.

“I imagine you’re about as excited as I am.” Barry, noticeably perturbed, started the conversation.

“Oh, this is my ideal Friday night. Coffee and low-quality movies picked out by Cisco.”

 _“Thank goodness for my peripheral vision.”_ Barry and Caitlin dove into their coffee, completely unaware of what would occur next.

_________________________________________________________________

About 10 minutes into the film, it became increasingly apparent to Cisco that his planning had paid off handsomely. Barry and Caitlin were totally absorbed with each other, allowing Cisco to excuse himself with a fake phone call. He had planted audio and video surveillance equipment for just such an occasion.

“So, they get the mask, but it turns out it wasn’t the businessman, it was the professor. He was the villain all along,” Over the course of several years, Caitlin became a peerlessly skilled actress. Certainly not in the traditional sense, being on camera or a stage terrified her, but even as a child she was an expert at concealing her emotions. Her operating principle was that if people knew how you felt, they could worm their way under your skin. That’s when they could hurt you. Keeping people at a distance was an art, and she was a master like no other, but, regrettably, there were an extremely small collection of individuals who pierced the veil of her defenses. “I mean, it’s such a coincidence. They fight a masked villain who’s actually a trusted academic. Just like us.”

“That, uh, sounds interesting,” Barry flinched after Caitlin, unusually, gripped his arm as she excitedly discussed a film she quite enjoyed. “Sounds a lot better than this.” He shifted his head towards the screen, hoping to move the conversation away from Eobard Thawne. Barry and Caitlin didn’t have to be professional film critics to deduce that Cisco had made a poor choice for the night’s viewing, though neither volunteered to turn off the television. Caitlin returned her gaze to the screen. This was the point in the film where the sharp-dressed, rich-and-well-to-do-but-also-affable businessman would first encounter the haughty secretary who would instantly reject his advances. Being a toothless, bottom-of-the-barrel romantic comedy, this meant the businessman would spend the next two hours relentlessly badgering the poor woman until she conceded that they were bound by destiny to unite despite the trials and tribulations which stood in the face of their love, namely the businessman being a complete tool. Barry’s discomfort at the mention of Eobard Thawne was obvious. She hastily returned the topic of discussion to the magnum opus before them.

“Did Cisco give a particular justification for watching this drivel? I’ve always thought he was more of a mindless science fiction sort of viewer.”

“He’s probably pissed off at us for some reason and this is his form revenge. It seems more like a form of cruel and unusual punishment.”

Though at first she tried to bury it in the part of the mind human beings rarely venture, the seeds of Caitlin’s affection for Barry began to flourish early in their friendship despite the obvious logical objections. She was mourning the death of her fiancée and it was clear that she didn’t meet Barry’s preferences. It was no great mystery that Iris, Linda, and Patty were all energetic, pretty, intelligent, and bold while she was a meek, gawky ice queen. She saw no benefit in pining after someone who looked at her platonically. In spite of her strict adherence to objectivity, Barry wormed, or, to employ a more apt analogy, dashed, his way into her heart. As a scientist, Caitlin examined attraction the same way she looked at oxygen binding to hemoglobin in the blood stream, but even she begrudgingly conceded that Barry was the quintessential template of her “type”. Of course, he was exceptionally handsome, with a perfectly symmetrical face, an infectiously powerful smile, and muscles in all the right places, but her feelings went past the literal and proverbial surface. Sure, he was also kind, sweet, noble, witty, and perpetually optimistic despite every tragedy and setback, but there was more substance to him. She lived with an overriding weariness of other people that stuck to her like a disease, but she didn’t have to conceal herself from Barry. There was no need to look over her shoulder or keep everything buried. He accepted her without objection or complaint. After a great deal of internalization, she allowed her affection for Barry to roam free in her mind. It was impossible to pin down the specific moment as to when that epiphany took place, but it brought a new type of anxiety into everyday activities, which, presently, no longer had control of her.

“Barry, can I...” Caitlin shifted her teeth to her bottom lip as she searched for the correct word. “Make an inquiry?” Even in her state of heightened confidence, Caitlin could not escape herself completely. Barry made a subtle shift away from her.

“Yeah. Sure. What’s up?”

She reflexively looked down at her knees, but forced herself to face Barry. “I just wanted to ask you…if-“In favor of obliterating her chance, Caitlin made a small leap over to Barry and pressed her lips against his. After getting over the initial shock of what she had just done, she allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of being pressed up against Barry and her somersaulting stomach. This was a two-member operation, however, and it became readily apparent that Barry had been far more passive than Caitlin had hoped.

“No.” Barry rejected her and a grenade went off in Caitlin’s stomach. As was so often the case in these situations, she overstepped boundaries, and she found a surge of ice had overtaken her body. To mollify the situation, she would have to act quickly.

“Before you say anything, Barry,” She slammed her eyes shut and held her hands up. “Please let me apologize. I’ve just had…certain feelings, and I, rather foolishly, acted on them without consideration for yours. I just thought that since Patty unceremoniously, and rather rudely, in my opinion, left and you looked so, you know…” She gestured with her hands in favor of speaking. “And I’m pretty sure Cisco put something in that coffee. It tasted funny and-“

Caitlin nearly jumped off the couch as Barry had taken her hands into his own. The two looked into each other’s eyes for several seconds before Barry once again said: “No.”

“Please, Barry, I’m sorry, if there is anyth-“

“No. Not that,” Caitlin noted that she was typically the one tripping over her own words. She also noticed a dash of red danced across Barry’s face as he searched for the right words. “I didn’t mean to say no in reference to that. I meant no as if to say “no, don’t stop.”

“Oh,” The elusive confidence returned. “Well, that’s good to hear.”

Barry rubbed his right arm with the other as he shifted his gaze away from Caitlin. Had Cisco done something similar to Barry’s drink? She didn’t know whether to berate or congratulate him. There was something rather adorable about a shy Barry Allen.

“So, uh, what do you wanna do? Do you want to keep on watching the movie?” He shuffled in his seat as he spoke to Caitlin. After some rumination, Caitlin reached a conclusion which she felt was both appropriate and personally enjoyable.

“Would you like to cuddle?”

Apparently, Caitlin’s suggestion was indeed an optimal one. Barry immediately perked up despite whatever Cisco may have done to make him so unusually nervous.

“Yeah. Yeah, no, that sounds awesome. Should we keep on the movie?”

Caitlin considered his suggestion for a few moments. “Shall we mercilessly make comments about its blatant poor quality?”

Cisco had seen enough. He hastily turned off the computer screen to get himself a nice cup of coffee to reward himself. Plus, the amount of second-hand embarrassment watching Barry and Caitlin make nasty was most likely fatal. He could probably simulate the experience with a surprising amount of accuracy by allowing two excitable puppy dogs to lick each other’s faces.


	4. Forward

"Did your bedroom get bigger? I feel like it got bigger."

Barry had an encounter with a meta-human that left in a state of what could charitably be described as intense intoxication. There was no humane place to sleep at STAR Labs and Joe could not be reached, so Barry had to find some alternative place to sleep. Considering the two were now boyfriend and girlfriend, it fell to Caitlin to escort Barry to her apartment for a good night's rest until Team Flash could figure out what exactly was wrong with him.

"I haven't had any major renovations, no," Caitlin wasn't exactly sure as to why she was attempting to have a legitimate conversation with Barry. "Come on now, in bed." She wrenched the covers off as Barry flopped face-first onto her bed. For her own safety, Caitlin had decided on the car ride over to sleep on the couch, but that didn't mean she was going to allow Barry to destroy her rather well-kept bed, so she made sure to take his shoes off as he adjusted himself.

"There we go. Well, good night." Caitlin also desperately needed a good night's rest. Barry had spent the entire car ride squinting at her and asked her three times if he had ever mentioned that she was the most gorgeous person he had ever witnessed. She was grateful his state of delirium precluded him from witnessing the fierce blush that adorned her face whenever he asked her. Caitlin thought it was ridiculous how wild Barry drove her even in spite of her feelings for him.

As soon as she entered the door frame, Barry called to her. "Cait, wait,"

She gave a hefty sigh before turning around. "What?"

"Can you stay with me?"

Considering he would likely fall asleep in a matter of seconds, she saw no objection in remaining by Barry's side. He had done the same for her, after all. "Fine."

"I mean, like, in bed."

Caitlin could feel the color drain from her face as soon as she successfully processed his request.

"I really don't think th-"

"But I need someone to keep me warm. Pleeeease?"

"That's why you have the cov-"

Before Caitlin could finish her thought, Barry hurled Caitlin's pristine covers to the adjacent side of the bed. He reacted to Caitlin's incredulity by pouting.

"Pleeeease?"

Caitlin had quite a bit to consider. Sure, they were dating, and being in bed with Barry while both of them had their clothes on was admittedly something she fantasized about _a lot_ even before they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but this was just taking things faster than Caitlin preferred. Despite her objections, something in her gut propelled her forward.

"Fine."

Barry's face lit up. "Yay."

He wrapped his arms around her as soon as she placed herself in the bed. The first thing she noticed was that Barry's body was very, very warm to the point where she knew she wouldn't need blankets. Caitlin let her arms wrap around Barry's upper body and she nuzzled her head into the space between his chest and his shoulder. She let herself meld with him as she felt her stomach somersault pleasantly. The thrill of cuddling with Barry exceeded even her most ludicrous expectations.

"Goodnight, Caitlin."

She shot him a smile and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight, drunkie."


	5. Depth

For a wide variety of reasons, Caitlin was never one to wear her heart on her sleeve. She wasn’t one to hold back her anger when someone, typically Cisco, would annoy her, but she generally kept her more sensitive feelings to herself. Despite her best efforts to both keep outsiders at arm’s length and to keep her loved ones close, she found that, at one point or another, everyone would die, leave, grow to hate her, or some combination of the three. Her father died, her mother hated her, and her husband died, returned from the grave, and died again. After some time she began to entertain the notion that she simply was not meant to be truly happy with others and, for the benefit of her and everyone else, she should simply insulate herself as much as possible from intimate contact. Of course, she didn’t particularly enjoy exclusively interacting with co-workers, but it was far less painful than having to deal with the abrupt conclusion to relationships that life randomly dispensed. The only minor divergence in her faultless plan arrived when Barry finally woke up and effortlessly destroyed her defenses.

_“Damn it.”_

Caitlin stood up from and ran her hands through her hair. In an attempt to take her mind off of Zoom and the sheer dread the mere thought of him could produce, she tried to think about all the wonderful things in her life, the most prominent of which was Barry. The only problem was that almost every positive association with Barry was mirrored by her time with Jay. The same way Barry was so easy to turn to whenever she was feeling upset or frustrated, Jay, or, rather, the façade of Jay, had been similarly amicable.

_“Have to focus. He’s gone. He’s never coming back. He can’t hurt anyone.”_

Caitlin acknowledged that, on some level, her ‘crush’ on Barry germinated long before the two had gotten to know each other. It was rather curious, she thought, how much she seemed to care for him even when there was nothing to distinguish him from millions of people across the world. As a scientist, she knew how illogical it was to develop an emotional attachment to what essentially amounted to a body with a heartbeat, but she considered that perhaps she subconsciously acknowledged that Barry aligned with her ‘type’. She noted a series of parallels between Barry and the two individuals who managed to get through to her in the past. Dick Grayson, a peer of Caitlin’s she developed an infatuation for in high school, Ronnie Raymond, and Barry Allen were all exceptionally attractive, (Caitlin felt this was self-evident) athletic, (Again. this was self-evident even before the manifestation of his super-powers) and extremely charming (The way Iris would rave about him made that readily apparent). Further, the three each held a nebulous quality that made Caitlin feel…..content. That was the apt word. Content.

Again, Caitlin was hurled out of her musing as she became aware of her rapidly proliferating heart rate. She ran her hands over her face. What was going on with? There was nothing to fear. Zoom was dead. A fact both Barry and Harrison Wells had reiterated to her multiple times. Yet, somehow, his memory clung to her like a parasite.

_“Because he was also your type.”_

The truth forced its way into Caitlin’s mind. Part of the reason the all-encompassing anxiety she experienced lingered like a mist was because he knew exactly how to counter her defenses. Months ago, she readily conceded that she ‘liked’ Jay. Charming, funny, sweet, good-looking Jay. She dismissed the obvious objections her mind held about allowing that to happen, and she paid a steep price. Jay was proof that she could be hurt.

That she could be _broken._

Though she would never admit to anyone, one thing she found extremely comforting looking after Barry was the sound of his heartbeat. Whenever she was totally certain Cisco and Doctor Wells weren’t around, she would pull up a chair right next to Barry and nestle her head into the crevice between his shoulder and chest. His body proved to be an exceptionally warm and firm pillow, but what she desired above all else was the sound and sensation of Barry’s heartbeat. She would be sure to only rest on Barry for a few minutes at a time, but she frequently found herself falling asleep. She was still mourning the death of her fiance and her career was all but destroyed, but having her arms draped over Barry’s body as she felt his heartbeat made life truly amazing. Right now, she needed that feeling more than ever. It was the only solution to satiate her debilitating anxiety. Luckily, she had her own personal Flash-signal, as Cisco called it.

“Barry?”

“Caitlin? What’s up? Is everything okay?”

She paused, genuinely uncertain of how to respond. Was it right to put her burden on his broad shoulders?

“No. I…Can I see yo-“

Before Caitlin could complete her thought, she detected the familiar _woosh_ and found Barry standing before her, concern plastered on his visage.

“I’m sorry. I just needed to s-“

Again, Barry interrupted her by cupping his face in her hands, bringing her eyes up to meet his, and planted a firm, passionate kiss on her lips.

“Well, I’m happy to see you, too." There he went again, being all charming and comforting. How dare he be so perfect.

"Zoom?"

Barry asked with a look of genuine concern. That was the one thing Caitlin dreaded about calling him; having to once again run into his arms because of her child-like fear of non-existent monsters in the shadows. She dashed her face away from Barry's scrutiny in a fruitless effort to maintain some shred of dignity.

"Yes." She squeaked out.

Barry reeled back, uncertain of what to say. It had been more than a month since he had defeated Zoom, and all the signs indicated that he was never coming back. That being the case, Caitlin clearly had not recovered from the scars of the war with Zoom. Not that he begrudged or looked down on her, Barry would be the first to concede that attempting to move on with life following Zoom's defeat had been a Herculean task for him, a superhero, and he could only imagine how taxing the whole ordeal must've been for Caitlin. He considered her sitting before him and a smile forced its way onto his face. Despite the circumstances, there was something extremely pleasant about seeing Caitlin relaxed, in a sense. In nearly every endeavor concerning Team Flash and even in non-formal occasions, Barry thought Caitlin was dressed like she was holding a colloquium on the virtues of good manners, but here she was wearing a Star Labs shirt and sweat pants with her hair tied back. Wasn't there a Drake song about something like this? About women looking the best in this state? He was correct, Barry thought. Caitlin looked...cute.

 _"Well, more so than usual."_ Barry mentally added.

Barry was not unaware of Caitlin being physically appealing, but part of what he liked about her now was that this was a definitive sign that he had earned her trust. When they first met, Barry felt that Caitlin was more defensive than Fort Knox, but the two had made a great deal of progress even prior to them taking the big leap forward. It made Barry feel kind of special, in a strange way. He was one of the few people on the planet to have earned Caitlin's trust. It unequivocally proved Barry's assertion that he was _extremely_ charming _and_ handsome.

Though Barry had confirmed his suspicion that he was Casanova reincarnated, he still felt totally inept when it came to comforting Caitlin in her hour of need. It was particularly frustrating for someone like him. He could defeat inter-dimensional and time-traveling super villains, yet he was completely helpless when it came to assisting his girlfriend. This really put powerless into a new context.

But perhaps there was something to counter her dread.

Knowing that she was used to his speed. Barry dashed forth, scooped Caitlin into his arms, and used his super speed to transfer her over to her bed. This would almost certainly heal even her deepest wounds. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, making sure she was on his left side. Barry had deduced that Caitlin preferred resting on his left. If she was ever in the opposite end, she would forcibly shuffle over to his left. He never pressed her on it, but he began to suspect it helped her fall asleep.

"Uh, Barry," Caitlin poked her head up against the firm encroachment of Barry's arms. "What are we doing?"

"What? Are you gonna say no to this?"

"Well, no, I'm not exactly against it, but-"

"Right. So, hush and enjoy it."

Barry smiled as Caitlin nestled into his chest. "And just so you know, we'll always have your back. Me, you, Cisco, Joe, Iris, Harry, Jessie, Wally, we're all family. And the Reverse-Flash, Zoom, or anyone else can't take that away." He concluded his reassuring speech with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Caitlin agreed with Barry on each of his assertions. She finally felt as if she could muster the strength to conquer her fear of the darkness Zoom lurked in, and she would have Team Flash to back her up. She also concluded that she was wrong about the connection between Barry and Zoom. Barry cared about other people. He spent every day of his life making the world a better place. Further, he had the ability to truly _love_ her, something Zoom was totally incapable of understanding.

"Thank you, Barry." Caitlin responded as the two drifted off to sleep in the comfort of each others arms.


	6. Ice Cream

After some time, Caitlin felt as if she had become completely immune to being shocked or surprised by what life hurled at her. At first she thought that an army of super-soldiers led by a genocidal plutocrat invading a major city was about as surreal as things could get, and she had been proven wrong with interest. It seemed as if that was a beacon for all sorts of oddities. People who could run faster than light, an army of ninjas, distinct realities, psychic powers, even an alternate version of herself that was essentially an evil version of that one Disney princess.

But absolutely nothing could prepare for this.

"Kara Danvers. They call me Su-."

"Supergirl." Team Flash and their guest turned to face the source, none other than Harry.

"Supergirl, real name Kara Zor-El, hailing from the planet Krypton. Physically completely identical to a human except you receive superhuman power from the radiation of Earth's yellow sun. Your cousin is Kal-El or Clark Kent, better known as Superman, and the two of you protect National City and Metropolis, respectively."

After several seconds of painful silence, Barry interjected in an attempt to quell the collective internal pain. "That's, uh, Doctor Harrison Wells. We call him Harry. He's a regular beacon of sunshine. You can ignore him."

While the attention was focused on Harry, Caitlin took several execrable moments to examine the target of her scorn, the supposed 'Supergirl'. Her presence caused several opaque, painful memories from the humid darkness of her subconscious mind to reemerge. Though she fought to suppress them with all her emotional fortitude, they formed a massive portent of her character. Caitlin was not terribly fond of her high school experience, but one thing she occasionally liked to recall was her time with Dick Grayson. Caitlin, the resident ice queen, had been assigned as study partners for an AP Biology project with Dick, and although she conceded that he was physically appealing, she was not going to be a doormat and carry him to an A plus so he could spend his time lollygagging and philandering. Contrary to her expectations, Dick had proven to be quite intelligent and charming, and the two became fast friends. After the project's completion, she conceded that their time spent together ultimately led to her developing a bit of an infatuation with him.

"And this is Cisco, our resident engineer. He developed my suit and all the cool toys here."

Kara reached her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Cisco."

It took several painfully awkward seconds for Cisco to recall his knowledge of basic human decency. "Buh, hey, it is pleasure to meet you," He gripped her hand and gave her a massive grin. "Wait. No. I'm Cisco and I'm nice to meet you," Barry arched an eyebrow before Cisco took one more chance at rectifying his floundering. "I'm Cisco, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

As expected, Kara responded to Cisco's buffoonery with a smile that just _radiated_ sunshine and happiness. It created yet another parallel between the past and present. It wasn't long after she embraced her 'crush' on Dick that he practically fell head-over-heels in love with a transfer student named Barbara Gordon. As Caitlin expected, she was pretty, athletic, and intelligent. She even trumped Caitlin's position on the honor roll. She and Dick remained friends, and Barbara was a rather pleasant person, but her animosity sat inside of her for the remainder of her high school career. Caitlin was someone who prided herself on her ability to keep her emotions in check, but she could feel that pervasive rage resurface in her stomach.

"And you must be Caitlin Snow."

Caitlin was forced to disengage from her ruminating as the target of her vitriol greeted her. "I'm sorry?"

"Barry told me about all of you."

"That's nice. So, how do you know Barry?" Caitlin concluded that it was best to simply toss pleasantries into the wind.

She gave a slight grin as she turned to Barry, who had been talking to someone on his cell phone. "Well, when you guys were testing out that chest-accelerator, Barry just so happened to jump into my world. We took down some bad guys and had ice cream."

_Ice cream._

"Sure thing, Joe. We'll be there in 2 seconds." The two turned their attention to Barry. "Kara, that was Joe. He needs us down by the docks and I could really use your X-ray vision."

"Try and keep up."

And the two were off, leaving a severely frustrated Caitlin. As was often the case when Caitlin needed to vent, she returned to her work. In one regard, she acknowledged that it was somewhat uncalled for in this situation. Barry and Caitlin had been dating for several months and he showed no sign of holding any sort of affection for Kara beyond the platonic. The thought relaxed the pervading anxiety that chilled her arms and stomach.

"Oh my God. Caitlin, I'm in love."

And there it was again.

"Am I dreaming right now?" Caitlin looked over to find Cisco holding his cheeks in his hands in an attempt to gain composure. "Caitlin, can you slap me? I don't think what I just experienced was real."

Unwilling to contend with Cisco's infatuation, she returned to her desk. "Yes, Cisco, she is real. And no, I will not slap you," Perhaps some all-powerful meta-human could descend from the sky and provide Caitlin with a sufficient distraction. Undeterred by Caitlin's warning, Cisco propped himself above Caitlin's workspace. "Cisc-"

"I don't think you understand what's happening. Did you see that girl? She's a perfect ten and a superhero. And that costume. Woah mama, that girl can rock a superhero costume like nobody's business. Do you think she has a sister? I don't think I'd have a chance with the cousi-"

"Cisco!" Her rage overriding her polite sensibilities, Caitlin figured the only way to bring Cisco back to the realm of the living was to scream at him. "Yes, I am aware that she is pretty, but please, for the love of all that is sacred, please shut up about it." She returned her furious gaze to her computer terminal.

With the use of peripheral vision, Caitlin could see Cisco crossed his arms as he began to nod knowingly. "Oohhhh, I see what's going on here," Caitlin knew what was going to happen. "Someone's been bitten by the green-eyed monster. Someone's a little bit jealoouuus." His voice rose by a few octaves to taunt Caitlin.

She could feel her face burn slightly at Cisco's words. There was a modicum of truth ingrained in them, after all. _Not_ that he was going to know that. "I am not jealous," She made sure to place a degree of emphasis at the conclusion of her sentence. "Kara is a lovely person. She's pretty, sweet, and, I'm sure, a great friend." She desperately hoped Cisco would drop the current subject. He clearly would not.

"Oh yes she is. I'm sure they're great friends. Teaming up fighting bad guys and having ice cream. And she's Barry's type, too. She's hot, out-going, can understand the life of a superhero, and did you see that smile of hers? It's like a basket full of puppi-."

"Cisco!" She considering the idea of fulfilling Cisco's request of slapping him in the face. "That's enough! I don't care if she's a superhero and she's gorgeous and her and Barry have ice cream," Her anger continued to grow more powerful as she witnessed Cisco giggling like a drunkard. "And do you want to know why? Bec-"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry, I'll stop!" He guffawed. "You know I'm just messing with you. I know you and Barry are super tight. Besides, superhero relationships never work out. They always have to get with civilians."

Her anger was assuaged by that idea. Cisco of all people would know about that sort of stuff. "Really?" She practically squeaked out.

"Oh yeah," He decreed with assured finality. "Captain America and Agent Carter, Black Widow and The Hulk, Cyclops and The Phoenix, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel, the list goes on. Superheroes can only have stable relationships with civilians. I think Barry and Kara are smart enough to get that."

There was a degree of comfort to be found in Cisco's esoteric knowledge. She knew it was extremely likely that the thought of infidelity never so much as crossed Barry's mind.

"Caitlin?" Kara's voice rang through the comm system. "Barry is going to test some DNA samples, but do you think you can you fill me in on someone named...uh, Tar Pit?"

"Sure thing, Kara."


	7. Rest

It was with quite a bit of trepidation that Barry took the driver seat of Caitlin's car. Between Zoom's invasion and the sudden arrival of a wide variety of superheroes, the two had decided to take a week away from the chaos of a superheroic life at his father's cabin, and Caitlin decreed emphatically that she didn't want Barry to use his powers for any purpose that didn't involve saving a life. Attempting to drive after nearly two years of exclusively sprinting faster than light from place to place was a harrowing task, but Barry insisted that Caitlin shouldn't force herself to drive the entire trip despite her fervent belief in her limitless energy supply and impeccable driving skill.

"Time to wake up. I think we're about two minutes aw-" He suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

Caitlin had fallen asleep about thirty minutes ago, but Barry took his eyes off the vacant wilderness to find that she had just now nestled her head onto his shoulder. He fixed his eyes back on the road with a massive grin on his face. As it stood, Caitlin was extremely adorable, but there was something so very pleasant about seeing her at rest, completely at peace. Zoom's invasion had take a toll on every member of Team Flash, but Caitlin still struggled to quell the scars of war. Despite his desire to stretch after driving for several hours, Barry wanted to hold on to peaceful Caitlin for as long as humanly possible. He mentally debated whether or not he should actually wake her from her slumber as he pulled up to the exterior of his father's cabin.

"Dontbelonginhouses."

"What?" Barry gave a small laugh. Was Caitlin trying to tell him something? "Speak up, sleepyhead."

She moved her head slightly and pressed her face against Barry's neck. "President Truman says propellers don't belong in those houses."

Barry sucked in his lips to keep himself from laughing and waking Caitlin. He decided then and there that their trip could begin with a little bit of rest. Ever so gently, Barry shuffled his body to move his seat back and prop his head on top of Caitlin's. Everything in this moment was perfect and singular. Barry didn't have to worry about universe ending threats or alternate dimensions; the only thing that truly mattered in this and every reality was his brilliant, beautiful, unshakably strong girlfriend who smelled like lilacs. He gave a small sigh and gently cupped her cheek. Almost immediately upon contact, Barry could feel Caitlin slightly nuzzle her face against his palm. She was still so affectionate, even in this state.

"I love you, Barry."

Barry could feel his eyes widen and his heart skip a beat. "And I…and I love you, too, sleepyhead."


	8. Weakness

After a day of hiking through the nearby woods, Caitlin knew the only thing that could relieve her dilapidated energy supply and aching legs was a good night's rest curled up with Barry. It had been quite a nice day. With no supervillain threatening the world with annihilation, Caitlin was simply free to enjoy a peaceful day with her boyfriend accompanied by a wonderfully relaxing background chorus of birds and the various machinations of nature. The temperate climate and pleasant conversation made all the struggling truly worthwhile. She also couldn't deny a budding sense of pride from the way she could catch Barry's eyes lingering on her shorts and her legs throughout the day, particularly during her pre-hike stretches. Barry was a fearless superhero who could run faster than light, but it was certainly interesting that she held that sort of power over him. The thought made her grin slightly as she idly drummed her fingers up and down Barry's chest.

"Barry, as your physician and...friend, I think it's important that I inform you that you have a weakness. It's kind of a new one I've discovered after weeks of dedicated research and analysis." A mischievous thought entered her mind as she maneuvered herself to better engineer her scheme. Barry gave a quizzical look in response.

"I get that I'm not invincible, but I don't have any glaring weaknesses like Kara or her cousin. I guess ice, but, you know."

Methodically, Caitlin brought her face right up to Barry's so that their lips were _almost_ but not quite touching and he could feel her warm breath. Doing her best impression of what she believed constituted a 'voluptuous' voice, she continued edifying on her newfound discovery. "Well, I know your true weakness."

She could feel Barry's heart rate pick up. This was exactly where she wanted him. "And what would that be, Doctor Sn-yaow!" Quick as lightning, Caitlin pressed her knees to her stomach, stuck her bare feet under Barry's shirt, and pressed right up against his extremely firm stomach. He yelped and reeled onto his back. Caitlin took the opening to leap on top of him, pin him down by the forearms, and plant a forceful kiss on his lips.

"Meeeee." Victorious and still pinning him down, she sing-songed as the delirious speedster struggled to regain some semblance of composure.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way, Doctor Snow."


	9. Me and You

Barry felt he had a sixth sense for detecting when people were upset, and it was almost second nature with Caitlin. Of course, Caitlin wasn't one to hide her disapproval or scorn, but being in tune with her feelings came rather naturally considering all the time he spent thinking about her. As such, he could easily deduce that she was upset when she responded to every inquiry from Harry, Jesse, or Cisco with an uncommitted monosyllabic gesture or vague grunt and sighed heavily every few minutes. That simply could not stand. Caitlin deserved all the happiness in the world Barry could give her, and maybe a bit more than that. He figured this time he would go with a classic attack-from-behind hug while she was sitting at her desk. When he was sure the lab was unoccupied, he made his move. He delicately made his way to the chair and, when he was sure he was in range, hurled his arms around her neck. The first thought that entered his mind was that her hair smelled delightful. After she refused to respond for several seconds, Barry took the initiative.

"Whatcha doin?"

"Work."

"I can see that." She continued on as if he wasn't there.

Barry shifted his head to look directly at her. "Caitliiiiiiinnnn," He singsonged. "Do something with meeee."

"Barrrryyyy," She deadpanned. "I have to work."

This was not an unexpected roadblock. Normally, Caitlin would always feign nonchalance but eventually give in to Barry's irresistible charm, but he was also aware of the fact that she often used work as a distraction from pain or anxiety, a habit she almost certainly picked up in school. Something clearly had to be done. To that end, he pouted his lips and did his best to flash his puppy-dog eyes to weaken her willpower.

"Pleeease? I'll sing you Elton John songs."

Caitlin's face twitched, a sure sign of victory. "No, Barry, I have to work, and you singing Elton John will only preclude from getting this done. So, please, leave me be."

A slight twitch of the mouth. That meant she was suppressing a smile "There's a shady place at the end of the working day," He brought his naturally soothing singing voice up. "Where young lovers go and this little hot trio plays."

"Barry Allen, don't you da-" Before she could object, Barry threw one arm behind her back and another below her knees to scoop her up into his arms. Her objections became more and more disingenuous as she wrapped her legs around his torso for balance.

"Dammit, Barry, put me down!" The radiant smile on her face betrayed her words. Another thing he loved was that she was very, very warm. There were multifarious elements to Barry's love of cuddling with Caitlin.

"That's where we meet," He bellowed before planting a light kiss on her cheek. "Me and you, rendezvous in the club at the end of the street." He concluded his song before more forcibly wrapping his lips around hers for several perfect, singular seconds. She tasted like mint and serendipity.

Following their brief dance, the two gazed at each other, intoxicated by the others presence. Barry became so enchanted by her perfect, richly brown eyes that he was unable to prevent the two of them from bumping into an adjacent desk and tumbling down on top of each other. It took a few moments for Barry to regain his composure.

"I am so, so sorry, Caitlin. I am such a-"

Strangely, however, Caitlin made no effort to maneuver off of Barry's torso. In fact, she actually seemed to be...adjusting herself.

After planting her knees on Barry's sides and wriggling slightly on top of him, she spoke in a hushed tone. "My, my, mister Allen. I had no idea you were such a naughty boy."

He found her attempt at being 'sexy' thoroughly amusing. "You can get off of me now."

Caitlin placed her hands on Barry's chest. "I thought you liked having girls on top of you."

Barry guffawed this time. "I do, but that's not really what I want right now."

She methodically brought her head forward and pressed her mouth right up to his ear. Having her lips on his ear and feeling her warm breath gave him goosebumps. "Or would you would rather have them beneath you?" She hungrily whispered before planting a tender kiss on his delirious, blushing face.

Caitlin was correct in the assertion that Barry liked being close to her. In spite of that, he was so flustered by his current predicament that he felt an overpowering urge to wriggle free. His desire to be close to her made that difficult enough, but his girlfriend's insistence on staying on top made that a Herculean effort. His attempts to escape did not go unnoticed as she pinned him down by his arms.

"Oh Flash, it's only natural to want to run away," Her lips were excruciatingly close and Barry would give anything to kiss her, but he was too paralyzed by fear. "But I have you in my clutches." She obliged to his need, something he couldn't help but allow. Her lips were so soft.

After several seconds of gazing at Barry, Caitlin looked away slightly before bursting into a fit of laughter. "I'll admit that I had fun, but it's really time to get back to work." As expected, her return to her desk only made Barry yearn for more time to cuddle with her. Perhaps it didn't have to end just yet. He remained flat and considered an idea for a brief moment before super-speeding over to Caitlin's desk.

"Oof!" She yelped and found that she was now sitting on top of Barry in her chair. "I'd love to, Barry, but I actually have to work."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'll keep quiet. You can keep working like this."

Caitlin wriggled slightly to increase her comfort. "Well, I suppose having the world's comfiest pillow would hypothetically enhance my cognitive abilities and speed." She planted a kiss on his cheek with an exaggerated 'mwa' and returned to work.


	10. Reach Out

"Barry! I'm so glad you're here!" Upon entering the apartment living room, Barry was greeted by a bone-crushing hug from Caitlin, still decked out in her pajamas.

"I'm happy to see you, too," As she buried her face in the crook of his neck, Barry shifted to Cisco, who had been diligently keeping an eye on her while Barry dealt with the nearby meta-human. "How's she doing?"

"She's not dangerous, she just has even less of a filter than usual."

Team Flash had been dealing with a meta-human who had infected the building's water supply with some sort of naturally produced chemical. Despite her delirious state, Caitlin had been able to make an incoherent call to Barry, who promptly shut down the water supply and dealt with the nefarious meta-human. The idea of Caitlin being infected by some sort of bizarre pathogen made him feel like his heart was going to tear itself from his chest in the name of self-preservation, but Cisco's initial assessment detected no immediately harmful effects other than a certain lack of social graces. Thankfully, a quick scan from one of Star Labs' many experimental pieces of tech revealed that none of the other tenants appeared to be suffering from the infection.

"Mwa!" Having seemingly ignored Cisco's comment, Caitlin took the opportunity to press further into Barry in order to plant a firm kiss on him, forcing him to reel back. His shock and Earth-shattering embarrassment was only exacerbated by Cisco's presence.

"Well, I think I'll leave you two be." The engineer snickered out between fits of laughter.

Barry's horror only increased when he felt Caitlin's hand reach into his trousers and grip his backside. He yelped as his eyes widened.

"Gonna touch your butt, butt, butt, cuz you're mine, mine, mine to grope, grope, grope." She singsonged absentmindedly.

If Barry had one wish, it would be for a hole somewhere far removed from any form of sentient life. He felt as if his face was going to melt. To prevent further embarrassment, he gripped Caitlin by the waist and propped her onto his torso, to which she happily obliged. She took the opportunity to inhale deeply as she wrapped her arms around Barry's neck.

"Okay, Cisco, thank you very much, but you're free to go. Please contact me the moment you and Harry figure out some antidote."

Cisco made no attempt to form a coherent response as he departed. Barry knew he was never going to hear the end of this. Still, he didn't want to leave a quasi-intoxicated Caitlin alone to wander the dangerous and unforgiving world of her apartment, so he vowed to keep watch over her while Team Flash devised a way to relieve her predicament. As Barry made his way to the bedroom, Caitlin took the opportunity of being pressed right up against him to stroke his upper torso.

"Mmmm," She mewled. "Barry, did I ever tell you that there isn't a single part of you that I don't loooooooove?"

Instinctively, Barry turned away. He didn't want to use his super-speed, but he picked up the pace in order to place Caitlin in her bed. He pondered if a person could experience a lethal amount of embarrassment.

"Okay. Time for sleep." Despite gently setting her down to the point where she was pressed right up against the bed, Caitlin didn't loosen her grip. In fact, she actually seemed to be attempting to drag him down with her.

"But I'll cry if you're not cuddling with me. You don't want me to cry, do you?"

The query made Barry's heart stopped. He knew that she was only joking and that he was being innocently manipulated, but he truly detested the idea of her being upset in any capacity. He would do anything to make her happy and would sprint to the end of the universe and back if necessary, and if cuddling would relieve her in any way, Barry would comply. Besides, it wasn't as if he needed a lot of incentive to cuddle with Caitlin.

"Fine."

"Yay." Barry draped his arms over Caitlin as she took the liberty of entangling their legs. He felt that nervous tingling in his stomach he often felt around her.

Despite it being one of his favorite activities, Caitlin at present seemed intent on strangling him to death in her vice like grip around his neck, though her ear-to-ear smile took credence away from that notion, he hoped. She nuzzled her head onto his neck and sighed contently before softly whispering: "Can I touch your butt again?"

"Absolutely not." Barry stated without a hint of humor.

She lightly caressed his neck with her lips. "I'm still gonna."


	11. Indignity

According to Cisco, the formula would remove any trace of the pathogen in Caitlin's system within a few hours. After their midday nap, Caitlin should've been all good, Barry hoped. He hated to wake her from her slumber because of how precious she looked when she was asleep, but he had to be sure she was safe. To that end, he nudged her repeatedly to bring her back to the real world.

"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead. Gotta see if you're feeling better."

Caitlin stretched her arms, let out an adorable yawn, and lazily shifted her body on top of Barry's. "Gooood mornin."

Either the formula hadn't worked properly or Caitlin was just taking advantage of Barry's lack of a definitive answer as a joke. She acted distant, but she could be quite clever when the mood struck her.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Caitlin pouted her lips and squinted at Barry. "Ffffffffour cuz a thumb doesn't count. I see through your trickery."

"Well, you're not incorrect. Who's the president of the United States?"

"Donald Trump."

"What?"

"Just kidding. It's Barack the llama." Caitlin appeared to be regaining her cognitive functions as she was capable of responding to the world around her in a sensible manner, but she was still suffering from some adverse effects.

"Are you going to try to touch my ass again?"

Apparently, she found something extremely humorous about Barry's completely serious query, as Caitlin released all inhibitions and began to giggle like a fool. "Oh, Barry, I'm fine! I promise I'm not delirious or intoxicated. You're so easy to tease," She gave a final laugh before nestling into his chest, to which Barry complied. "And I promise I won't try to touch your butt again."

Content with the knowledge that his girlfriend would no longer attempt to grope his backside, Barry was able to relax himself as he pulled Caitlin closer. His temporary bout of inner peace was shattered, however, by the cold grip of Caitlin's hand on his rear. The quickness with which Caitlin could move coupled with the spontaneity of the action made Barry's heart jump.

"Oooooh, I _wondered_ what that would feel like."

She gazed up at the speedster's look of shock and dismay before attempting to quell their shattered trust. "Look at it this way: I didn't try to touch your butt, I succeeded."


	12. First and Last

After discovering that he had the ability to distract her from her work, Caitlin became quite perturbed as she constantly found herself impeded from finishing her itinerary by Barry insatiable desire for cuddling and kissing. To counter his efforts, she doubled her focus on concentration in order to counter his charms. She was quite proud of her emotional fortitude which allowed her to function and to withstand Barry's constant interruptions. Having nearly completed her work on her desktop computer, she concluded that she would give herself a much needed break as soon as-

"Oh, please."

Caitlin reflexively groaned as her screen cut to black apropos of nothing. Considering there was no power outage, there was only one explanation for why her workstation had suddenly shut down.

"Barry."

He turned up to her, feigning innocence. "Yes?"

Caitlin did her best impression of an angry scowl. "Why did my computer just turn off?"

He scrunched his eyes. "I don't know. Want me to take a look at it?"

Knowing that she was falling into his trap, Caitlin decided that she was not going to let Barry cajole her while there was work to be done. Turning away with a deliberate sigh, she discovered that Barry must've anticipated because the power cord was now mysteriously absent.

"Barry."

"Yes?" He struggled valiantly to contain his glee.

"Where is the power cord to my computer?"

"I don't know. Want me to take a look for it?" He stood and made his way to his perturbed girlfriend.

Caitlin crossed her arms. This was no longer about work; it was about principles. "I absolutely, unequivocally will not cuddle with you until you return my power cable so I can finish m-."

She was once again interrupted by Barry scooping her up. "Oh, I would do annythinnng for looove."

This was the point of no return. Once Barry started singing, there was no way of focusing on anything else. Still, she would not let him know that he had that power over her. "Barry Allen, don't you dare."

"But I won't dooo that." With that, he brought Caitlin to her bed in order to completely do away with her willpower. Despite her intense dedication, being able to kiss Barry was too great of a pleasure to pass up. The intensity and joy she experienced was interrupted, however, by something strange: Barry's hands were on her chest. She pulled away from the kiss for a moment, giving him a knowing smirk.

"Oh, saucy Barry. Were you thinking about this that whole time? Just waiting for the right opportunity to jump me?"

Rather unusually, Barry darted his gaze away, a fierce blush adorning his face, which made Caitlin's heart sink. "No, no, no, I'm not angry," She cupped his cheeks in her hands. "It's alright if you want to touch my chest. You have my permission." Perhaps a smile would lift his spirits, she thought.

"I..I'm sorry." Despite her expressed permission, Barry stilled shied away from her like an embarrassed child.

Now this was getting strange. Sure, it was a bold move, but Barry was hardly timid, especially when it came to physical affection. This was so unusual. Why exactly would Barry feel ashamed for being somewhat forward when it came to-

" _No. That can't be. That's impossible. Right?"_

A smart, handsome, outgoing guy like Barry? Surely he had girls willing to kill each other for a chance with him, especially in college. The part of this investigation that gave Caitlin butterflies was that the only way of solving the mystery was to ask him directly, an action far more forward than she preferred. She looked at the blushing, nervous, adorable man before her, uncertain of what would happen next.

"Barry," She moved his head to force eye contact. "Have you ever...are you a...you know."

Somehow, his face got even redder. "I...uh...I." He could barely work out a stammer.

That was all the confirmation she needed. Really, she saw nothing wrong with it. Everyone lived life at their own pace, and she herself hadn't made that commitment for many, many years. She couldn't stop biting her lower lip in an attempt to stifle her giggling.

Seeing Caitlin laugh made Barry burn like a Christmas ornament. "No, I'm not laughing at you, Barry! It's just surprising," She gave him a brilliant smile. "It's just...you're so adorable," To placate his anxiety, she gave him a tender, gentle kiss. "I don't want to pressure you into anything, but if you feel you're ready, I'm ready."

Barry's eyes darted between Caitlin's and the adjacent wall. "Yes." He squeaked out.

With a sly grin, she slipped her hand under Barry's shirt to soften him up. "How about we just take it nice and easy and see where we end up? Like a science experiment."

* * *

With her water bottle in hand, Caitlin threw herself on top of the overturned Barry with a light kiss. "Good morning, my love."

Acclimating to the real world, Barry turned over to stretch, the tight cords of his muscles rippling, golden in the morning Sun. "Mornin."

She draped her arms over him, nestling into her favorite spot pressed up against his firm body. "Did you sleep well? You were pretty tuckered out there," She proclaimed with a knowing grin. "You fell asleep almost as soon as we finished."

The color drained from his face, he turned away before responding. "I...sorry."

"No, no, no," She planted yet another gentle kiss. "That's alright. You took the fight right out of me, too."

He gave her a tiny, shy smile. "So," He timidly began. "Was I...good?"

Caitlin couldn't help but laugh. "You're pretty good, actually. Your technique could use some improvement, but you have the right tools for the job. But don't worry, you'll have plenty more opportunities to get better," She pointed to the water bottle. "Just in case you're thirsty. It's very important to rehydrate after strenuous physical activity."


	13. Favorite

"You're pretty good for a first timer," Caitlin idly ran her fingers over Barry's stomach as the two held on to each other, occasionally drumming them over his abs. "I know it can be a little nerve-racking."

With one arm draped over his girlfriend, Barry turned to face her, still a bit sleepy. "I admit I was nervous. I guess after you've saved the world a few times, there are still challenges left to conquer." He gave her a tiny smile, taking in how lovely she smelled.

Now Caitlin decided that she was going to rub her open palm up and down Barry's abs. Every aspect of him was extremely physically attractive, but she continually found herself drawn to their hypnotic power. She liked using her fingers to memorize the shape and contours of each individual bump in Barry's toned stomach. All that running around paid off very well, she thought.

"You know, I think I've decided that your abs are my second favorite thing." She gave him a mischievous smile in return.

He shied away somewhat, clearly embarrassed by her focus on his stomach and her praise of his physicality. "So what would the first be? Me? It's gotta be me."

Still brandishing her wicked grin, Caitlin shuffled over to whisper right into Barry's ear, being sure to press her chest against Barry's still unclothed body to enhance his adorable shyness. "My favorite thing in the whole wide world is that big lump you kept hidden from me in your pants all that time."

His face instantly lit up like a cherry as he whipped away from her scrutiny. "Caitlin!"

Before he could scramble away, she jumped on top of him, dug her hands into his sides, and planted a thorough, powerful kiss on his mouth to stun him. "But the boy attached to it is my third favorite thing in the world, and he needs my attention as well." She continued to press her torso against him to keep him in place. Teasing Barry truly was one of life's great pleasures.


	14. Chapter 14

"I can't sleep."

Barry's eyes dutifully opened after needing several seconds to refocus on the real world. "Have you actually tried sleeping?"

"Yes, I have. But it's been twenty minutes. I think."

"I don't want to get up." Ironically, The Flash had no energy.

"I'm way too comfortable to get up." Barry was the multiverse's most comfortable pillow.

"Do you wanna...you know."

"I didn't mean it like that. Can't we just, I don't know," She gently nuzzled her head against Barry's collarbone to weaken his willpower. "Cud-dle, and maybe you can tell me a story."

She received an exacerbated sigh in response.

"Fine. I'll tell you a story." Pursing her lips, she scoured the labyrinth of her mind for an appropriate sleep time tale. The time she nearly burned Star Labs down and partially fried Cisco's hair? When one of her college professors came to class severely inebriated and punched her lab partner in the face?

No, wait. That one. _That_ would be perfect.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in a greeeat big city," It was impossible for her to contain her excitement. The introduction almost came out as a song. "Then she met a boy, and she was instantly smitten. He was smart, funny, very, _very_ handsome, and heroic. The only problem was that she was far too terrified to risk presenting her feelings to him," She used her peripheral vision to acquire an appraisal of Barry's level of awareness. Though sleepy, his interest was captured. "So, being a master of the scientific arts, she deduced a way to figure out if he felt the same way. And, luckily, she had a very intimate level of access to him."

Now he was furrowing his brow. He was far too adorable when he was sleepy. "To that end, she monitored his biology to see how he reacted around her, and all signs indicated that he did feel the same way. So, she haltingly asked him out, whereupon the boy and the girl lived happily ever after." The recollection prompted an impromptu jig, bringing her head side to side.

Now Barry was awake, and obviously perturbed. "You spied on me to see if I _liked_ you?"

She flashed a maniacal grin. "Mayyybe. But only to see how your heart rate increased whenever I would walk into a room or when we would reach for adjacent objects. Innocent stuff."

"Really?"

"I may have also touched you more than necessity dictated during your physicals." It was a difficult job, but someone at Star Labs had to become well acquainted with the various facets of Barry's Greek deity-esque body for the sake of the world.

He brought his hand to his face to hide his embarrassment. "You are the worst."

To placate him, she scrounged together what fleeting energy she had left and silenced him with a passionate kiss. "Don't be upset. Before I scooped you up, you didn't even know how to take off a girl's bra."

Even in the darkness, his blush was radiant. "Goodnight."

She once again nuzzled her face against his collarbone, completely satisfied. Revealing the truth, teasing Barry, and witnessing him blush was more than enough to help her sleep. "G'night."


	15. Changes

He knew what he had to do. They were simple words. He had employed countless words over the course of his life. The only problem with the aforementioned words, however, was the untold power they carried. How would she interpret his inquisition? Would this forever mangle their relationship beyond redemption? Barry had spent the past several days since his return from the world of Flashpoint contemplating the Earth-shattering revelation that would potentially upend his entire world, and now he was prepared to make the final leap into darkness.

"Caitlin, has your hair always been that color?"

She pursed her lips and squinted ever so slightly. "Erm, no," It came off more so as a question than a definitive statement. "I decided to try something new."

Barry took a deep breath of relief. One of the many alterations to the present reality was that Caitlin's hair was a different color. Of course, Barry didn't want to imply that he somehow didn't like Caitlin's present choice. Quite the opposite, in fact. Barry loved Caitlin's hair, just like he loved her legs, her perfect face, the positively adorable way her nose and eyebrows would scrunch when she was frustrated by some meta-human conundrum or Barry's teasing, how she would struggle mightily but fruitlessly to hold back that perfect smile whenever-

"Barry?"

He had been hurled from his musing and met her gaze. "Hmm?"

"Your hand is just kind of stationary. Do you plan on finishing the job?"

It was only at that point that he realized he had been running his hand through her soft, long flowing hair that smelled like lavender when his hand had suddenly ceased all activity. Predictably, he blushed and looked away, obviously embarrassed. "Sorry."


End file.
